1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an electronic apparatus provided on which display monitors of different types can be used. More particularly, the invention relates to a technique of selectively controlling display monitors.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, electronic devices, such as notebook-type personal computers and mobile digital players, have a liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor as standard display.
In recent years, monitors (hereinafter referred to as “DVI monitors”) that accord with the standards of digital displays called DVIs (Digital Visual Interfaces) are used in increasing numbers. The DVI monitor is a display that generates images directly from digital signals. It can display high-quality images.
A notebook-type personal computers has either an analog RGB monitor (usually, a CRT monitor) or an LCD monitor, no matter whether it can be connected to a DVI monitor or not. The user may use a DVI monitor to display images reproduced from, for example, a DVD drive or a TV tuner. Special utility software must be executed to use the DVI monitor. That is, it is necessary for the user to switch the standard monitor, e.g., an LCD monitor, to the DVI monitor.
Some computers have a DVI-monitor connector and the function of detecting the connection of a DVI monitor to the DVI-monitor connector. (Such a computer is disclosed in, for example, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-169532.) In other words, any computer that has this function can automatically detect the connection of the DVI monitor to it.
Nonetheless, the user must do something to execute the special utility software to make the DVI monitor perform its function.